Beginner's Box: Let us consider lettuce

You’ll find two families of head lettuce on the produce counter — the Crisphead and the Butterhead.

Jim Hillibish

You’ll find two families of head lettuce on the produce counter — the Crisphead and the Butterhead.

Crisphead most often is Iceberg, a salad favorite. It comes in large, tightly packed heads with leaves ranging from pale green to white. Look for dense heads, the heavier the better. Flavor is bland.

Butterhead offers smaller, looser heads with leaves that are soft and sweet. Members of the family include Boston and Bibb. Bibb is the smallest and prized by chefs.

Leaf lettuce has leaves that branch from a central stem and does not form a head. It is more flavorful than head lettuce and comes in colors ranging from dark green to red and purple. It is the sandwich favorite.

All lettuce is mostly water and is fragile. It should be stored in an air-tight container to delay dehydration. Storing with a damp paper towel helps maintain moisture. A red “rust” on the stems indicates past prime.

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